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seclement's review against another edition
3.0
I really went back and forth on this book, chapter by chapter. Some chapters I quite liked, but others were frankly out of place an inexplicably included in this book. In fact, it is these two things that made me ultimately rate the book as 3 stars. It badly needs an editor, as it is not really sure if it is a book about the history of human impact on the environment, a book about the anthropocene in general, or a book about geoengineering in particular. I expected it to be a coherent story about the third category, and this is why I rated it as I did. Frankly, I wanted to read a book about the current status of geoengineering research, and this book was not that, but instead largely an argument about how we a) have already modified the earth significantly (i.e. it's the anthropocene), b) what we might be able to do about climate change (though this description is more limited than I expected), and c) why these things are simply a continuation of previous thinking on the topic.
If you have read the book Arming Mother Nature, then this is in the same vein. The author is politically astute and historically interested in where we come from, with the idea that it tells us where we should be going. I'm not necessarily on board with this premise, but I understand the point, and the rationale behind the intention. I also agree with the author (wholeheartedly) that, given the sad state of political "progress" in terms of how we're dealing with climate change, then geoengineering merits much more attention and much more consideration as an option. Morton clearly understands the nuances of political negotiation, and he is by no means naive. Nor does he overstate the potential contribution of geoengineering. He even addresses many of the concerns his readers might have, and preemptively at that. Morton's lack of a scientific background - and extensive experience as a grumpy journalist - is an asset in this regard.
But what it does not deal with is the uncertainty of science, especially when it comes to translating models and ecosystem understanding to reality. We don't have a good track record in this area, and this book does nothing to alleviate the concern that we would do any better when we enter the stratosphere (for instance) and spray a thin veil around the earth to mimic volcanos. Sure, it works in theory....and sure, the models say it might work to alleviate the effects of rising CO2 in many regions....but there is nothing to indicate that our models will align with reality, and our track record is so poor, the reader can be forgiven for their distrust. If you read this book and you are aware that we can't even introduce one species in an ecosystem to control another, then this book won't give you the reassurance and/or evidence you are after to show that this time will be different, nor will it directly confront the difference between knowledge in theory and in practice (or in soft vs hard science).
Still, what it does provide is a very strong and sophisticated argument about why geoengineering merits more research, and it is here where I can't disagree with Morton. I am, like him, shocked that this is not an area that we are attending to, given the institutional failure of global negotiations. So while the book has succeeded in convincing me that this is an area that deserves our attention, it has failed in convincing me that we have enough evidence to say that there are potentially strong effects that offset the risks of geoengineered interventions. Ultimately, the logic of this book is built on an argument about how much we have already modified the world, and an argument that engineering it for the benefit of the climate is simply a logical step; but even so, it does not convince me of the ethical arguments. Yes, we are in the anthropocene. Yes, we have modified the world beyond what we could have possibly imagined. But nowhere in the book is a strong case made that this leads to a logical conclusion - and a proven intervention - that we should try to manipulate this to our own ends, as a means of adapting to climate change. There just isn't the data to support a stronger, more coherent argument.
And speaking of coherency...this book is in need of a good editor. I love the historical bits. They are interesting. But they are completely out of place. This book is a mix of information about the anthropocene (which many authors have addressed already), information about how we've modified the earth already (with the aim to lump all global environmental change drivers under the concept of "geoengineering), and information about how formal geoengineering solutions might work. I read this book because I wanted more information on the final category, but it was confusingly mixed in with everything else. {As an example, chapter 5 suddenly talks about the history of discussions about humans modifying the planet, with the argument being that there is precedence...but wouldn't logic dictate that you start with that?} It was thus about twice as long as it needed to be, given the content, and I'd love to see this book after a tough (but fair) editing.
If you haven't read other books on the anthropocene, then this is probably worthwhile, but otherwise I would suggest that you wait until a more focused book on geoengineering- and more focused research in general - is developed before reading this book. Morton is poitically astute and quite realistic, but ultimately his message is a bit mundane and unfocussed in this book.
If you have read the book Arming Mother Nature, then this is in the same vein. The author is politically astute and historically interested in where we come from, with the idea that it tells us where we should be going. I'm not necessarily on board with this premise, but I understand the point, and the rationale behind the intention. I also agree with the author (wholeheartedly) that, given the sad state of political "progress" in terms of how we're dealing with climate change, then geoengineering merits much more attention and much more consideration as an option. Morton clearly understands the nuances of political negotiation, and he is by no means naive. Nor does he overstate the potential contribution of geoengineering. He even addresses many of the concerns his readers might have, and preemptively at that. Morton's lack of a scientific background - and extensive experience as a grumpy journalist - is an asset in this regard.
But what it does not deal with is the uncertainty of science, especially when it comes to translating models and ecosystem understanding to reality. We don't have a good track record in this area, and this book does nothing to alleviate the concern that we would do any better when we enter the stratosphere (for instance) and spray a thin veil around the earth to mimic volcanos. Sure, it works in theory....and sure, the models say it might work to alleviate the effects of rising CO2 in many regions....but there is nothing to indicate that our models will align with reality, and our track record is so poor, the reader can be forgiven for their distrust. If you read this book and you are aware that we can't even introduce one species in an ecosystem to control another, then this book won't give you the reassurance and/or evidence you are after to show that this time will be different, nor will it directly confront the difference between knowledge in theory and in practice (or in soft vs hard science).
Still, what it does provide is a very strong and sophisticated argument about why geoengineering merits more research, and it is here where I can't disagree with Morton. I am, like him, shocked that this is not an area that we are attending to, given the institutional failure of global negotiations. So while the book has succeeded in convincing me that this is an area that deserves our attention, it has failed in convincing me that we have enough evidence to say that there are potentially strong effects that offset the risks of geoengineered interventions. Ultimately, the logic of this book is built on an argument about how much we have already modified the world, and an argument that engineering it for the benefit of the climate is simply a logical step; but even so, it does not convince me of the ethical arguments. Yes, we are in the anthropocene. Yes, we have modified the world beyond what we could have possibly imagined. But nowhere in the book is a strong case made that this leads to a logical conclusion - and a proven intervention - that we should try to manipulate this to our own ends, as a means of adapting to climate change. There just isn't the data to support a stronger, more coherent argument.
And speaking of coherency...this book is in need of a good editor. I love the historical bits. They are interesting. But they are completely out of place. This book is a mix of information about the anthropocene (which many authors have addressed already), information about how we've modified the earth already (with the aim to lump all global environmental change drivers under the concept of "geoengineering), and information about how formal geoengineering solutions might work. I read this book because I wanted more information on the final category, but it was confusingly mixed in with everything else. {As an example, chapter 5 suddenly talks about the history of discussions about humans modifying the planet, with the argument being that there is precedence...but wouldn't logic dictate that you start with that?} It was thus about twice as long as it needed to be, given the content, and I'd love to see this book after a tough (but fair) editing.
If you haven't read other books on the anthropocene, then this is probably worthwhile, but otherwise I would suggest that you wait until a more focused book on geoengineering- and more focused research in general - is developed before reading this book. Morton is poitically astute and quite realistic, but ultimately his message is a bit mundane and unfocussed in this book.
tobynicks's review against another edition
4.0
More of a history of natural and artificial climate change rather than a detailed review of proposed technologies (although there is some discussion on the later). Nevertheless a very interesting and detailed read without being repetitive.
simont24's review against another edition
2.0
A monumental drag to read in places. I was also expecting more solutions than the scant handful provided - the author seemed to return constantly to atmospheric veils. Maybe it felt like that because I ended up reading the same sentence multiple times...
Given that the author was an editor for several high profile publications, I found it quite amusing that the book could have used a very heavy edit itself. In places it was needlessly poetic and I regularly encountered sentences which were entire paragraphs (I actually counted a few - some sentences were well over 100 words long). Overall I felt there was little real since here.
I was lured into this by a blurb that promised a fascinating discussion on future technology. What I left with was some detailed information on a few topics and not much else.
Given that the author was an editor for several high profile publications, I found it quite amusing that the book could have used a very heavy edit itself. In places it was needlessly poetic and I regularly encountered sentences which were entire paragraphs (I actually counted a few - some sentences were well over 100 words long). Overall I felt there was little real since here.
I was lured into this by a blurb that promised a fascinating discussion on future technology. What I left with was some detailed information on a few topics and not much else.
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
3.0
Wow that was a tough read. And I put it down multiple times and had to force hard through a number of sections. Wordy. And definitely unfocused. The writing style much of the time was annoying. And yes I got lots of the non science references but that doesn't mean they should have been there. But the book was also specific and particular. The case that we have been doing geoengineering for a long time was pretty strong. The scenario at the end around the Concert was mostly well done. And I particularly liked the chapters by element on Nitrogen, Carbon and Sulfur. The author also went out of his way to separate who thinks or thought or claims what and where possible what agenda they seem to have - it made the book harder to read but perhaps more valuable. Not a fun read. And it doesn't look like it is setup well as a reference book either. 2.5 of 5.
pearseanderson's review against another edition
5.0
I've been reading this off-and-on for the last 2ish years. It's been a great experience. Morton crafts some amazing chapters: revelatory, explanatory, poetic, well-structured, and great to hear. I speak his language and he opens my mind up to new possibilities for the world. Of course Kim Stanely Robinson blurbed this book. I'm sure they're friends in some regard. God did I learn a lot. Took a lot of notes. Went to college and finally picked this up for the last 100 pages recently. It's really worth any ENVS majors' time. Good, good, good.
nelsonminar's review
3.0
Oh how I wanted this book to be great! But instead it's merely good. Still important and worth reading, but not earth-changing.
The book starts from a strong premise; if you believe global warming is an urgent threat and that current efforts at carbon emissions limitation won't be enough to stop it, what else can we do? You have to consider geoengineering as a means to counter global warming.
Then the book launches into an excellent description of one of the most appealing geoengineering options; blocking out ~1% of sunlight by means of a veil of sulfurous gasses sprayed into the atmosphere by airplanes. It sounds crazy at first but the cost is very low, the effects are not scarily permanent, and it seems imminently doable without inventing new technology. It's worth talking about, if nothing else than because of the risk that some one country may decide to do it unilaterally.
So far so good with the book. But then it goes off the rails a bit. It provides a lot of interesting history of science context. Other ways that we have unintentionally engineered the climate, like all the effects of nitrogen fertilizers. Cold War discussions of various ways to affect global weather, including large scale cloud-seeding experiments, etc etc.
But the book never returns to what I hoped was its central purpose, a review of various geoengineering technologies and a discussion of their current plausbility. There's some of that but a lot more just speculation and philosophizing, much of which didn't seem insightful enough to be really exciting.
Still it's an important topic and I'm grateful to the author for writing an approachable book. Also with excellent citations and bibliography, should the reader wish to study more.
The book starts from a strong premise; if you believe global warming is an urgent threat and that current efforts at carbon emissions limitation won't be enough to stop it, what else can we do? You have to consider geoengineering as a means to counter global warming.
Then the book launches into an excellent description of one of the most appealing geoengineering options; blocking out ~1% of sunlight by means of a veil of sulfurous gasses sprayed into the atmosphere by airplanes. It sounds crazy at first but the cost is very low, the effects are not scarily permanent, and it seems imminently doable without inventing new technology. It's worth talking about, if nothing else than because of the risk that some one country may decide to do it unilaterally.
So far so good with the book. But then it goes off the rails a bit. It provides a lot of interesting history of science context. Other ways that we have unintentionally engineered the climate, like all the effects of nitrogen fertilizers. Cold War discussions of various ways to affect global weather, including large scale cloud-seeding experiments, etc etc.
But the book never returns to what I hoped was its central purpose, a review of various geoengineering technologies and a discussion of their current plausbility. There's some of that but a lot more just speculation and philosophizing, much of which didn't seem insightful enough to be really exciting.
Still it's an important topic and I'm grateful to the author for writing an approachable book. Also with excellent citations and bibliography, should the reader wish to study more.
mburnamfink's review against another edition
4.0
Morton begins the book with two questions: 1) Do you think human emissions of carbon dioxide are changing Earth's climate? 2) Do you think it will be difficult to transition away from the centuries-long and multi-trillion dollar reliance on fossil fuels? If your answer is "yes and yes", then it may be necessary to embark on some form of geoengineering, the deliberate introduction of (most likely) sulfur aerosols into the stratosphere to reflect more light into space and counter the greenhouse effect.
Morton is a professional science writer, and he has a keen grasp of good analogies to describe the flows of energy through the upper surface of Earth, and the scientific discoveries that lead to theories of geoengineering. Major volcanic eruptions in the late 90s offered a case to test the assumptions of primitive climate models against the introduction of bulk surfer aerosols, with sudden cooling and associated hemispheric changes in the weather. Of course climate models are relatively crude, and there's still much that we don't know about the effects on weather, which is what people notice and care about, rather than the climate. The ease of geoengineering is stark. Perhaps $10 billion to set up a fleet of stratospheric tankers, and a $2 billion annually to maintain the program. Big science, yes, but costs on the order of a few large nuclear plants.
The problem with geoengineering is it's Promethean potential. It's not that the actual practice is wholly new. Climate change is just one natural cycle now substantially influence-to-completely dominated by human activity, from the Haber-Bosch process and nitrogen fertilizer, to phosphorus fertilizer, to the narrowly averted disaster of CFCs and the ozone layers. To take a major Earth system deliberately in hand and say "this is what we want it to be" is a new level of planetary ambition. Geonegineering induced cooling will have some losers, and the politics of those harms are not well mapped out.
This is where Morton falls short. He imagines a scenarios where a "Concord" of minor states threatened by climate change enact geoengineering, but it seems more likely that a major power or even a billionaire operating under a flag of convenience will get there first. The internal politics of geoengineering, its scientific debates, and relationship to mainstream atmospheric physics and ecological activism, are sorely under-reported. Still, I can't think of a better book on the topic.
Morton is a professional science writer, and he has a keen grasp of good analogies to describe the flows of energy through the upper surface of Earth, and the scientific discoveries that lead to theories of geoengineering. Major volcanic eruptions in the late 90s offered a case to test the assumptions of primitive climate models against the introduction of bulk surfer aerosols, with sudden cooling and associated hemispheric changes in the weather. Of course climate models are relatively crude, and there's still much that we don't know about the effects on weather, which is what people notice and care about, rather than the climate. The ease of geoengineering is stark. Perhaps $10 billion to set up a fleet of stratospheric tankers, and a $2 billion annually to maintain the program. Big science, yes, but costs on the order of a few large nuclear plants.
The problem with geoengineering is it's Promethean potential. It's not that the actual practice is wholly new. Climate change is just one natural cycle now substantially influence-to-completely dominated by human activity, from the Haber-Bosch process and nitrogen fertilizer, to phosphorus fertilizer, to the narrowly averted disaster of CFCs and the ozone layers. To take a major Earth system deliberately in hand and say "this is what we want it to be" is a new level of planetary ambition. Geonegineering induced cooling will have some losers, and the politics of those harms are not well mapped out.
This is where Morton falls short. He imagines a scenarios where a "Concord" of minor states threatened by climate change enact geoengineering, but it seems more likely that a major power or even a billionaire operating under a flag of convenience will get there first. The internal politics of geoengineering, its scientific debates, and relationship to mainstream atmospheric physics and ecological activism, are sorely under-reported. Still, I can't think of a better book on the topic.
halfmanhalfbook's review against another edition
2.0
Mankind has spent millennia altering and changing their local environment, but with the discovery of fossil fuels and our current addiction to them we have begun the process of changing the entire global climate. He explores the effect we have had on our world with carbon dioxide, nitrogen fertilisers and sulphate in the atmosphere and considers the perilous situation that the world could be in just a few years. Even though some choose to ignore it, climate change is the thing that isn’t going to go away.
A need to address the risks of global warming is urgent and pressing. A small group of scientists are looking at proposals such as cultivation of photosynthetic plankton or a stratospheric veil against the sun or having automated robotic ships cloud seeding for intervention against the effect of climate change. In this book Morton seeks to inform us about the benefits and hazards of these geoengineering strategies. Even trying to change things in a positive way is fraught with danger, but inaction holds equal dangers.
Morton has drawn together a broad overview on the coming threats of climate change and the possibilities that geoengineering offers in digging us out of the mire. It does make for interesting reading the discussion of the technologies available to reduce carbon emissions and reflect sunlight back into space. While he covers various new technologies and new ways that are being considered to combat this, he didn’t seem to be bold enough to commit to the one he would recommend. Overall this isn’t a bad book, but didn’t seem to have the focus that I was expecting, but then that might be because the solution might be as dangerous as the problem. 2.5 stars.
A need to address the risks of global warming is urgent and pressing. A small group of scientists are looking at proposals such as cultivation of photosynthetic plankton or a stratospheric veil against the sun or having automated robotic ships cloud seeding for intervention against the effect of climate change. In this book Morton seeks to inform us about the benefits and hazards of these geoengineering strategies. Even trying to change things in a positive way is fraught with danger, but inaction holds equal dangers.
Morton has drawn together a broad overview on the coming threats of climate change and the possibilities that geoengineering offers in digging us out of the mire. It does make for interesting reading the discussion of the technologies available to reduce carbon emissions and reflect sunlight back into space. While he covers various new technologies and new ways that are being considered to combat this, he didn’t seem to be bold enough to commit to the one he would recommend. Overall this isn’t a bad book, but didn’t seem to have the focus that I was expecting, but then that might be because the solution might be as dangerous as the problem. 2.5 stars.
dav's review
3.0
We should all be more versed in the facts of both the geoengineering we've already been doing (albeit mostly inadvertently) and the types of geoengineering we could be doing deliberately. This book presents plenty of those facts. I felt it would have benefited from being shorter, but I think the author was going to great pains to try to cover all the angles, pros and cons.